Described as “a force of nature” (Toronto Star) and “an actress of immense talent” (Opera Canada), mezzo-soprano Lynne McMurtry is an exciting and vibrant performer, possessing a rich and generous instrument. Her growing career spans the breadth of classical music genres, from opera and oratorio through art song and new music. She has performed with the Boston Symphony, the Winnipeg Symphony, the Edmonton Symphony, Opera Ontario, Edmonton Opera and Manitoba Opera, and at many of the major festivals, including Tanglewood, Ravinia, Banff, and Aldeburgh. Conductors with whom she has performed include Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, James Meena, Howard Dyck, Kevin Mallon, Wayne Strongman, Robert Cooper, and Lorraine Vaillancourt. On the operatic stage, Lynne’s vocal and theatrical versatility has won her excellent reviews in such diverse roles as Mistress Quickly in Falstaffwith Edmonton Opera, Arsace in Rossini’s Semiramide and Mme. de Croissy in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, both with Opera in Concert, and Olga in Evgeny Onegin. Other performances include Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Hamilton, Marthe in Gounod’sFaust with Calgary Opera, and a return to Opera in Concert to sing the title role in Handel’s Tamerlano. In the past few seasons, Lynne has been featured in no less than seven Canadian operas, including three premieres. Her highly acclaimed and multi-faceted performance in Tapestry New Opera Works’ 2004 "Opera to Go" was broadcast on CBC Radio.
Lynne’s warm, opulent sound and keen musical intelligence have brought her acclaim in a wealth of opera and orchestral concert repertoire. Concert appearances include Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with the Edmonton Symphony, Handel’s Messiah with both the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and the Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Chorus, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Kingston Symphony, Raminsh’sMagnificat with Chorus Niagara, Elijah with the Newfoundland Symphony, Mahler’s Rückert Lieder with the Winnipeg Symphony, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Eastman Faculty Players.
Lynne is an active recitalist and has sung at many distinguished song venues, including Tanglewood, Ravinia, and the Vancouver International Song Institute, where she collaborated with renowned pianist Margo Garrett. Her recital with pianist Alison d’Amato exploring settings of the poetry of Walt Whitman earned her a rave review in the Toronto Star, which stated that “Art doesn’t get any more moving than this.” Her many premieres include the world premiere of Conquering the Fury of Oblivionby Augusta Read Thomas, the Canadian premiere of Ned Rorem’s Evidence of Things Not Seen, and the North American premiere of Judith Weir’s The Voice of Desire. Her discography includes Vivaldi’s La Griseldaand Nisi Dominus, both recorded with Aradia Ensemble and Kevin Mallon, conductor.
Lynne grew up in Vernon, British Columbia, and attended the University of British Columbia, the Eastman School of Music, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, where she was a winner of the Opera Trust Scholarship. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice at the State University of New York College at Fredonia.